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aclevela724's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Racism, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
sauvageloup's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An engaging fantasy read with good writing and pacing.
pros:
- what set it apart the most I think was the Nigerian cultural influences, and how Yoruba and the gods made the magic and the worldbuilding different and interesting. There was hints of a larger world which was interesting, but it made a great change to be set in fantasy Africa.
- the writing was solid, imaginative and emotional and the dialogue was good. I didnt enormously connect to the characters, but I did like them and appreciated their complexities and back stories.
- I did like the romance between Tzain and Amari, that felt more natural, and I liked Amari's character and how she develops.
- I also liked that magic was shown through hair (as well as the usual eyes), which I think emphasised the importance of hair in Black peoples culture and how they have been the subject of racism and oppression because of it.
- Adeyemi draws attention to the parallels between the oppressive tyrant in the book and the police brutality in real life and I did feel that resonance in the book.
cons:
- throughout, I felt it very strongly had the YA revolution, fantasy, romance tropes going on. maybe it was fresher at the time, but the romance felt shoved in there for extra drama (esp between Zelie and Inan, Amari and Tzain's felt more natural), and I did roll my eyes a little at some of the plot points (getting a "quest" for a magic stone and scroll, the bad guy flicking back and forth in alliances, Zelie randomly losing her magic for maximum effect, magic being lost to the realm, having to do a ritual on one special day, dead parents fuelling all motivation, etc.). other things were tropes, like everyone being badass with a weapon and them riding giant beasts, but those were more fun.
- also, character motivations felt weird. why did Inan fluctuate so much in his loyalties? I couldnt rly understand that. Zelie too made some odd decisions which seemed to just serve the plot.
- the last line also confused me, not sure if it was meant to or not? clearly magic wasnt lost but why was it so shocking that Amari had magic.
overall, a bit mixed, maybe just because it was written nearly 10 years ago now so didnt feel as fresh. still want to read the 2nd one.
pros:
- what set it apart the most I think was the Nigerian cultural influences, and how Yoruba and the gods made the magic and the worldbuilding different and interesting. There was hints of a larger world which was interesting, but it made a great change to be set in fantasy Africa.
- the writing was solid, imaginative and emotional and the dialogue was good. I didnt enormously connect to the characters, but I did like them and appreciated their complexities and back stories.
- I did like the romance between Tzain and Amari, that felt more natural, and I liked Amari's character and how she develops.
- I also liked that magic was shown through hair (as well as the usual eyes), which I think emphasised the importance of hair in Black peoples culture and how they have been the subject of racism and oppression because of it.
- Adeyemi draws attention to the parallels between the oppressive tyrant in the book and the police brutality in real life and I did feel that resonance in the book.
cons:
- throughout, I felt it very strongly had the YA revolution, fantasy, romance tropes going on. maybe it was fresher at the time, but
- also, character motivations felt weird. why did Inan fluctuate so much in his loyalties? I couldnt rly understand that. Zelie too made some odd decisions which seemed to just serve the plot.
- the last line also confused me, not sure if it was meant to or not? clearly magic wasnt lost but why was it so shocking that Amari had magic.
overall, a bit mixed, maybe just because it was written nearly 10 years ago now so didnt feel as fresh. still want to read the 2nd one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
zluvsreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holy fucking shit!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Cursing
lsol8tion's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I wanna take a deep dive into tomi adeyemi's mind to experience her process of how she created this immersive world, society caste system, and magic system. To incorporate youruba mythology into each of them , & so amazingly too??? WOW.
Reading Zelie's POV chapters & seeing her internal war holding such a huge responisbility of restoring magic in Orisha was so engrossing but also frustrating at times when she makes bad decisions, such asher falling for Inan . However, I think her decisions are aslo reflective of how young she is. She's only 17 & being tasked by the gods to restore magic is an INSANE responsibility.
AND LEMME GET INAN REAL QUICK. I understand he felt a familial pressure to put "duty before self" and "protect" Orisha as its future king but he shoulda known his daddy was NAWT gon spare him when he found out about his Connector powers. Your dad is Saran, the brutal king who regularly had you & your sister fight & injure each other with real weapons & KILLS maji without a second thought. Once Saran ordered Inan to kill Amari if he found her whike Zelie was in captivity, then Inan shoulda realized that his father is mercilies & doesn't give a fuck about family. Inan shoulda tkaen the chance to run with Tzain, & Amari when they fled the fortress after saving Zelie. BUT WHAT DID INAN DO? STAYED BY HIS FATHER'S SIDE LIKE A BITCH, CONTINUOUSLY DEFEND THE OPPRESSIVE SYSTEM HIS FATHER CREATED, & TEAR THE SCROLL THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED TO BRING MAGIC BACK. I don't feel bad that Inan was killed by his father because there were so many instance that Saran showed his ruthlessness & Inan thought he would be the only exception. GOOD RIDDANCE HOE
Now Amari's a girl who STANDS ON BUSINESS. She sawher father kill Binta & immediately sprung into action. She had the balls to go against her father's wishes (something bitch-ass Inan couldn't do). However, she's also a princess who's unlearning her biases and imdoctrination. I hope she continues her deconstructing journey & untimately find a way end maji oprression in a way that doesn't include her famiky staying in power. Honestly I don't think the maji of Orisha will feel comfortable with another person from the same royal line who was responsible for the Raids. ALSO SHE GOT POWERS NOW??
I hope we see more Tzain development in book 2. I would love to read flashbacks of him and Zelie's childhood from his perspective. He's Zelie's brother and protector, and Amari's potential boo thang, but what else?
That cliffhanger was DIABOLICAL OMG??? I can't wait to read more!
Reading Zelie's POV chapters & seeing her internal war holding such a huge responisbility of restoring magic in Orisha was so engrossing but also frustrating at times when she makes bad decisions, such as
AND LEMME GET INAN REAL QUICK. I understand he felt a familial pressure to put "duty before self" and "protect" Orisha as its future king but he shoulda known
Now Amari's a girl who STANDS ON BUSINESS. She saw
I hope we see more Tzain development in book 2. I would love to read flashbacks of him and Zelie's childhood from his perspective. He's Zelie's brother and protector, and Amari's potential boo thang, but what else?
That cliffhanger was DIABOLICAL OMG??? I can't wait to read more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, War, and Injury/Injury detail
zari_safari's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and War
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
jan1e's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Tomi is a beautiful writer. I could easily feel all the emotions from every character and cried and laughed multiple times. I loved the African culture throughout the entire book. I appreciated the commentary on real life issues involving police brutality. The violence and angst in here could be too much for a sensitive reader (I’m finding it was for me).
Also, the speed in which Zelie and Inan fall in love took me out of enjoying the book. Coupled with how young this books read, reading the romance between them that went beyond the first kiss made me uncomfortable.
This is Tomi’s debut though and I love seeing a Nigerian American author have such a splash in the book world. I’m rooting for her!
This is Tomi’s debut though and I love seeing a Nigerian American author have such a splash in the book world. I’m rooting for her!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide
marysunburn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The best way to describe Children of Blood and Bone is that it RIPS.
Juvenile, I know, but nothing could be more apt.
Children of Blood and Bone – from this point onward COBAB – is a chilling, action-packed, emotional and necessary fantasy saga that embodies like nothing I've ever seen before the sheer pain, rage and discomfort that comes from imperialism and oppression. From the moment we see our main character Zélie first wield her staff in combat we ache with her same desire to slam it onto the guts of whichever pawn of the king first comes her way, and we cheer for her whenever said desire is fulfilled.
Despite it being labeled young adult, COBAB is gritty and pulls no punches. Death is always present, a constant threat and a lived reality, that doesn't even spare the young and innocent. Or, to put it more bluntly, don't get too attached.
This constant stream of young blood is put in perspective once we read the conclusion of the book and we see how author Tomi Ayedemi was inspired by real-life events of police brutality and anti-black racism, many of which, such as the death of Tamir Rice, had very young victims. And despite the main villains being as black as the people he oppresses (there's no white people in this book except as background dressing in some of said villain's dialogue and analogies, which is very "main villain" of him), the parallels to these real-life acts of cruelty and vile prejudice ring just as true through the earnest, heartfelt portrayal of their demise, each one being remembered and commemorated by Zélie even after many chapters of vicissitudes and daring-do, and the genuine call to action and resistance that permeates each one of the pages.
Zélie is one of the best literary protagonists I've had the pleasure to come across. A passionate, vibrant young woman whose anger and indignation, thoroughly woven with a strong sense of morality and desire to do what's right, even if it's strategically inconvenient or seems impossible at first glance, drives the plot and her party through every obstacle like a righteous burst of energy.
She's surrounded by a well-developed and engaging cast, from rebellious princess Amari, who has the best character evolution in the books, to reluctant crown prince Inan, to Zelle's protective and level-headed brother Tzain, to even minor characters like Mama Agba and Admiral Kaea. Yet, in her defiant persistence and spirit, Zélie seems to dwarf them all, and when she lights up, so do we.
If there's anything in Children of Blood and Bone that doesn't spark joy, aside from the involved indignation at the villains' depravity and the many deaths, is the fact that even after six years since its release it's still not getting its due. A movie directed by Gina Prince-Blythewood has been announced, but nothing seems to be made of it and I'd not be surprised if the ever-delayed, ever-nebulous The Old Guard sequel comes first. If it does. But by all means, keep saying black and diverse books don't sell because people don't want them, while you peddle abusive Booktok alphahole tripe that recycles the status quo.
In the end, COBAB's world is as real as many things around us – and even more so than meritocracy.
Juvenile, I know, but nothing could be more apt.
Children of Blood and Bone – from this point onward COBAB – is a chilling, action-packed, emotional and necessary fantasy saga that embodies like nothing I've ever seen before the sheer pain, rage and discomfort that comes from imperialism and oppression. From the moment we see our main character Zélie first wield her staff in combat we ache with her same desire to slam it onto the guts of whichever pawn of the king first comes her way, and we cheer for her whenever said desire is fulfilled.
Despite it being labeled young adult, COBAB is gritty and pulls no punches. Death is always present, a constant threat and a lived reality, that doesn't even spare the young and innocent. Or, to put it more bluntly, don't get too attached.
This constant stream of young blood is put in perspective once we read the conclusion of the book and we see how author Tomi Ayedemi was inspired by real-life events of police brutality and anti-black racism, many of which, such as the death of Tamir Rice, had very young victims. And despite the main villains being as black as the people he oppresses (there's no white people in this book except as background dressing in some of said villain's dialogue and analogies, which is very "main villain" of him), the parallels to these real-life acts of cruelty and vile prejudice ring just as true through the earnest, heartfelt portrayal of their demise, each one being remembered and commemorated by Zélie even after many chapters of vicissitudes and daring-do, and the genuine call to action and resistance that permeates each one of the pages.
Zélie is one of the best literary protagonists I've had the pleasure to come across. A passionate, vibrant young woman whose anger and indignation, thoroughly woven with a strong sense of morality and desire to do what's right, even if it's strategically inconvenient or seems impossible at first glance, drives the plot and her party through every obstacle like a righteous burst of energy.
She's surrounded by a well-developed and engaging cast, from rebellious princess Amari, who has the best character evolution in the books, to reluctant crown prince Inan, to Zelle's protective and level-headed brother Tzain, to even minor characters like Mama Agba and Admiral Kaea. Yet, in her defiant persistence and spirit, Zélie seems to dwarf them all, and when she lights up, so do we.
If there's anything in Children of Blood and Bone that doesn't spark joy, aside from the involved indignation at the villains' depravity and the many deaths, is the fact that even after six years since its release it's still not getting its due. A movie directed by Gina Prince-Blythewood has been announced, but nothing seems to be made of it and I'd not be surprised if the ever-delayed, ever-nebulous The Old Guard sequel comes first. If it does. But by all means, keep saying black and diverse books don't sell because people don't want them, while you peddle abusive Booktok alphahole tripe that recycles the status quo.
In the end, COBAB's world is as real as many things around us – and even more so than meritocracy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
The main character gets tortured in a POV shot. The story involves imperialistic conquest and suppression of one's true self, embodied by magic. It tackled a genocide of a fictitious culture of magical individuals, with two POV character's parent characters dying on screen. Many child characters die.bubblybelle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book truly altered my brain chemistry. the world building and characters are so rich and complex. the magic system is captivating, and the plot had me enthralled from start to finish. but beyond that, this book was so much more. the parallels between this novel and the realities of our world are stark and heartbreaking. so many of my emotions about the injustices i see were captured in what these characters went through. as i sobbed for the maji of Orisha, i sobbed for the people of Palestine, Congo, and so many others taken too soon through oppression and genocide. this is now my favorite book of all time. reading the sequel immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
peggy_racham's review
5.0
Rereading this for the upcoming third book relase. The audiobook narrator did a great job bringing this world to life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mattyb's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty and Alcohol